When The Silence Is Broken
by whatsamatta
Summary: A narrative on a school shooting that brings Timmy on the edge of losing someone he never thought of before. *Rated to cover my bases*


_**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairly Odd Parents, the characters, and places that are included in the show. I know this is mean of me, and I'm skirting around my Hey Arnold story, but I haven't gotten many reviews, and I testing different areas. As for this story, it's not so much as story, but more of a short narrative. I couldn't bring myself to write a full-fledge story. Take it or leave it. Read, Review, and Spread the Word.**_

FOP

"God, Timmy, you just don't change, do you? Here I am, trying to apologize for all the times I freaked you out when we were kids. All the times I stalked and irritated you. I came to say I'm sorry, and you just _**blow me off**_. Just . . . just, forget it Timmy. Forget I ever said anything."

***

There were screams. Loud, multiple, agonized screams. Deafening pops, like a bunch of firecrackers; from a gun no doubt. And there was blood. So much blood.

With all the chaos around him, Timmy sat, staring at to door where Tootie had stood not a moment ago. Cosmo and Wanda were also in shock, unable to process what had just happened. On the white classroom door were three small holes, each hosting a red dot. There were blood trails gliding down the wood, ending behind the crumpled body of a raven haired girl.

"Tootie?" Timmy ventured from beneath his desk, hearing the shouts but not understanding. His fairies had gone from the forms of a pink notebook and a green pencil to their original appearances. They held him back when he made a move to crawl to the fallen girl, pointing silently when a man in black sauntered passed the doorframe.

He didn't look at Tootie, nor anyone else in the classroom. Halfway past, he raised pistol – what Timmy would come to learn was a megastar – and fired two shots without ceasing his walk. He never looked into the classrooms he passed, giving Timmy the thought that he, the shooter, didn't want to kill _**everyone**_.

Once he heard the sound of screams move from his hallway, he rushed to Tootie's side, searching frantically for a pulse, Chester and AJ quickly joining him. It was still so surreal; AJ couldn't quite form words and Chester wouldn't stop shaking.

Suddenly, Tootie coughed, and opened her eyelids, looking at the three of them with unfocused orbs. She coughed again, and Timmy grew cold, realizing that Tootie could very well die.

"Timmy! Chester! Put pressure on her wounds; try to reduce the bleeding as much as possible! Mr. Crocker! Call 911 and tell them that there's a gunman at Dimmsdale High!" AJ was brought back to reality, and began issuing commands to try and keep the sixteen year old girl alive and awake. After a nod from Timmy, Cosmo and Wanda discreetly poofed away, moving from classroom to classroom in search of the gunman.

Mr. Crocker's voice came to him, frantic as he explained the situation to a dispatcher; Chester and AJ tried to keep him focused as Tootie closed her eyes, and didn't open them again. And as her blood pooled in his hands, he hoped and prayed that she would live, so he could apologize. Apologize for everything.

FOP

This young sixteen year old was not having a good week. And it was only Monday. Alright, so, really, it was just a bad night that carried over to the morning, but still, that didn't change the fact that she was not having a good day.

Last night, Tootie had been tossing and turning; plagued by a guilty conscience about how she had acted around Timmy for most of her life. When she awoke, she found she had overslept by almost thirty five minutes. She skipped breakfast and forgot her homework on the kitchen counter by the coffee pot. Her beat-up hand-me-down '66 Volvo was nearing empty, and she was afraid she'd have to push it up the final hill; relief finally washing over her when she secured her parking spot in the back.

But with all of her bad luck, Tootie had made the commitment that she would find Timmy before class officially started, and apologize for all of the crap and hassle she gave him when they were kids. She tracked him down, and found him sitting next to Chester and AJ. Those three had remained friends through the years, and decided they still needed each other when they learned Crocker had transferred to the high school.

She gave a small laugh to alert the boys she was leaning on the doorframe, watching them play a crude version of hangman. They smiled, but Timmy's smile faded when he saw it was Tootie who was watching them, and not Trixie Tang.

"Oh, hey Tootie." He sighed as he turned back to their game.

"Hey Timmy. AJ, Chester." She nodded, and the others acknowledged her with unwavering smiles.

"Hey Tootie."

"So, Timmy, all last night and this morning, I've been thinking; about when we were kids and all and I decided that I needed to tell you something." She began, already feeling better. Timmy didn't even look at her; she took his silence as the go-ahead to continue.

"Timmy, I think you'd have to be an idiot to not know that I had strong feelings for and attraction to you as a kid. And I know that my methodology at getting your attention was not the best, so I just wanted to say -" Unfortunately, she never got the chance to finish her announcement.

"You never give up, do you Tootie? I didn't like you then, and I barely like you now! No, I don't want to go out with you, or hear why you think I should give you a chance. I'm not attracted to you, I'm attracted to Trixie!"

"But Timmy, I -"

"No, Tootie! I don't care if it's hopeless, or if you keep insisting that she's just a shallow cow! I love her! Just stop stalking me and vying for my attention! You will never get it!"

With that, Timmy assumed the conversation was over, and that she would flee the hallway, crying. But with his proclamation, something in Tootie snapped.

"God, Timmy, you just don't change, do you? Here I am, trying to apologize for all the times I freaked you out when we were kids. All the times I stalked and irritated you. I came to say I'm sorry, and you just _**blow me off**_. Just . . . just, forget it Timmy. Forget I ever said anything."

She would have been content to turn on her heel and not talk to him for at least a month, when something stopped her. There was a man standing in the middle of the hallway, looking her way. He didn't appear to belong, and when she saw him pull out a gun, she knew why. She had just enough time to shout:

"Gunman!" before she heard three consecutive gunshots, and felt a sharp pain in her midsection. Putting a hand to her stomach, she lifted it to find blood covering her palm. She turned her head slowly towards Timmy, eyes wide and mouth agape, then slumped against the door and slid down.

Her world faded to the lingering sounds of screams and gunshots.

FOP

The gunman, an unidentified male in his late twenties, seemed to have only shot the students who were not in the classrooms, and was shot and killed by police two and a half minutes after they had arrived – five minutes after Tootie had been shot. Overall, only four kids didn't live to make it home, and eight were hospitalized out of the couple dozen that were shot at. The mayor praised the responding officers for their quick and concise action; and several students for their heroics in their ability to think in the situation. Most of the kids who survived only did because of their friends.

Tootie's alerting shout was one of the reasons more kids weren't out in the hallways; and it was determined that she was the first one shot.

***

Timmy sat next to an unconscious Tootie, Cosmo and Wanda floating next to him. Her heart monitor was beeping steadily, and all her machines read normal. Her private room was filled with flowers, cards, and balloons. With a sigh, Timmy rested his head in his hands, his elbows on her bed.

"Oh, cheer up sport, she'll pull through!" Wanda encouraged, putting a hand on her Godchild's head for comfort.

"It's all my fault, Wanda, it really is." He mumbled through his hands, suppressing a shudder.

"How's that, Timmy?" Cosmo asked, trying to get the guilt-ridden teen to open up a bit more.

"I yelled at her, forced her out of the classroom. If I had just heard her out, invited her in and spoke calmly to her friend-to-friend, she wouldn't be in this hospital bed right now." His guilt was stronger than they thought, but before they could counter his statement, he looked up, though he didn't look at them.

"Hey, where's Poof?" Wanda sighed with a mixture of relief and annoyance.

"He's at Cosmo's mother's house, thank goodness. I don't think I've ever been so glad for her insistence at 'Spend Time with Grandma Cosma Day'." Timmy nodded, and finally turned to look at his Godparents.

"Would you guys mind going to pick him up, and take your time? I would kinda like a moment alone with Tootie."

The pink haired woman and green haired man nodded with understanding, then poofed away, alerting Timmy that he was now alone. He sighed, giving himself a moment to collect his thoughts, before turning back to address Tootie.

"Oh man, I am _**so**_ sorry, Tootie. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I shouldn't have lied to you. I don't 'barely' like you, I _do_ like you. You're my friend; my friend who hangs out with us every Friday for Movie Night. My friend who acts like she's just one of the guys. My friend who helped me survive her evil older sister, and showed me she's not all that evil.

"So please, wake up, and tell me that we _**could**_ outlast Zombies in a mall; and watch the Godfather with me; and give Chester and AJ and all of the other guys we hang out with the support they need. Tell us we _**can**_ get girls no matter how nerdy we are."

She still didn't move, and Timmy was growing desperate.

"I promise, Tootie, that if you wake up soon, I'll take you on a date. We could go to the movies, then to a burger joint, a short drive around and I'll even kiss you goodnight! I wouldn't have eyes for anyone else. But this is only if you wake up."

Still nothing. At least, that's what he thought at first. But then, Timmy looked, _**really**_ looked at her face. A small smirk had worked its way across her pale lips. Suddenly, it dawned on Timmy.

It was okay if she didn't wake up today. He always had tomorrow.

FOP


End file.
